2016 Swatch Women’s Pro Recap

There you have it. Another successful year at the Lower Trestles Pro for the books. September 7th-14th, the world's top men and women competitors battled it out near San Clemente California with a common goal of claiming a coveted win on the championship tour.

Nestled in between North San Diego and a few miles south of the mayhem of Orange County, Lower Trestles proved itself yet again to be the legendary spot you hear so much about. Consistent waves and beautiful weather provide the ultimate contest grounds drawing in a colorful array of spectators, pros, their families, groms, and travelers from around the globe.

Lowers is unique for many reasons, but different from a venue like Huntington Beach which grants open access to anyone and everyone for the US Open. The competition grounds at Trestles are a bit harder to access, surrounded by cliffs and smack dab in the middle of a Marine Corps base. However such a unique experience might come with a cost with poor time management. Miss the window of opportunity to get to event parking? Expect a nice lengthy walk down the beach and potentially pay $71.50 to the city of Orange… Tred carefully.

A hefty swell provided for some rather voluptuous waves within the first few days of the contest, picking up some major speed by the weekend. Female contestants were hooked up with a locker room fully equipped with lotion, sunscreen, Swatch watches and some other prime goodies to keep them dialed in throughout the contest. Heats started around 8AM and ran until the early afternoon giving us all plenty of time to see these ladies killing it wave after wave. Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright cruised right into the finals to battle it out, and while both competitors were fierce and selective with their wave choices, it was Tyler who charged in for the win against 6 time world champ Gilmore.

What's ahead for these ladies??

Next stop on the CT is the Cascais Women's Pro in Portugal with Courtney Conlogue as the defending champion. Should pan out to be another exciting competition.

Cheers to Tyler Wright, this years CT #7 champion of the Swatch Women's Pro!